JP4435048B2 - Edge guide, recording apparatus, and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention aligns the stacked recording materials by abutting against the side edges of the recording material and prevents the recording material from being inclined so as to smoothly feed the recording material. The present invention relates to a guiding edge guide and a recording apparatus including the edge guide.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects (ejects) a liquid such as ink from a head thereof and performs recording (adhering liquid) on a recording material (liquid ejecting material). The present invention relates to an edge guide provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus uses an ink jet recording head, and is not limited to a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile machine that records ink on a recording material by discharging ink from the recording head. It is used to include a device for ejecting a liquid corresponding to the application from a liquid ejecting head corresponding to the recording head to a liquid ejecting material corresponding to a recording material and attaching the liquid to the liquid ejecting material.

  In addition to the recording head, as a liquid ejecting head, a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, and an electrode material (conductive paste) used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL display or a surface emitting display (FED) Examples thereof include an ejection head, a bioorganic matter ejection head used for biochip production, and a sample ejection head as a precision pipette.

  Hereinafter, an ink jet printer which is an example of an ink jet recording apparatus or a liquid ejecting apparatus will be described as an example.

  Inkjet printers include a feeding tray provided in a fixed state with respect to the printer body, an automatic feeding device for cut paper including the feeding tray, and a feeding device for cut paper provided detachably with respect to the printer body. A feeding cassette or a roll paper holder for loading roll paper is provided as a part of the ink jet printer or as an accessory of the ink jet printer.

  Then, in a part of these or in the vicinity thereof, the paper in the stacked state or the wound state is aligned by contacting both side edges (edges) of the paper, and the paper is prevented from being inclined. A pair of edge guides are provided to guide the smooth feeding. Such an edge guide is provided with a guide surface that directly contacts a side edge (edge) of the paper, and the guide surface has a vertical angle with respect to the paper placement surface over the entire length. Generally constituted by a vertical regulating surface having.

  However, if the guide surfaces are all constituted by vertical regulating surfaces, the regulation of the paper becomes too strict, which is preferable in order to prevent misalignment of the paper and to align the paper. On the other hand, the width of the paper varies. If there is a wrinkle on the side edge (edge) of the paper, the paper cannot be fed smoothly due to frictional resistance from the guide surface acting on the side edge (edge) of the paper. Will occur.

  In the following Patent Document 1, an edge guide is provided in which a plurality of ridges are arranged on the guide surface of the edge guide in an arrangement of the extension direction so that the friction resistance is reduced and the paper can be smoothly fed. Is disclosed. However, even when such an edge guide is applied, the corners of the paper are caught by the ridges and the paper is bent, or the paper is tilted (skew) during paper feeding and printed. There has been a demand for improvement or development of an edge guide that can cause a defect and can smoothly feed a sheet without being influenced by the quality and properties of the sheet.

  In Patent Document 2 below, a lower inclined surface that is inclined outwardly along the paper feeding direction at an inclination angle substantially the same as the inclination angle of the paper is formed at the lower portion of the surface facing the paper side edge. The portions other than the lower inclined surface are parallel surfaces parallel to the paper feeding direction, and the parallel surfaces are slightly outward from the vertical axis with respect to the upper surface of the paper feeding tray along a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction. Although the movable guide is inclined to the right, the parallel plane is slightly outwardly inclined, so if the number of stacked sheets is large, the sheets stacked on the upper part are strictly regulated. There is a possibility that it may not be possible.

JP 2001-278500 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-205828

  The present invention has been made in light of the existence of such background technology and problems that the background technology has, and without being affected by differences in the quality and properties of the recording material, To provide an edge guide capable of aligning recording materials by regulating the side edges, preventing the inclination of the recording material and guiding smooth feeding of the recording material, and a recording apparatus including the edge guide. It is intended.

  To achieve the above object, the edge guide according to the first aspect of the present invention aligns the recording material by contacting both side edges of the recording material and prevents the recording material from tilting. A pair of edge guides for guiding the smooth feeding of the recording material, wherein at least one of the pair of edge guides has a guide surface that is in direct contact with a side edge of the recording material so that the standing angle of the guide surface is Vertical regulation is set so that the upstream side and the downstream side in the feeding direction are different, and one of the upstream side and downstream side portions of the guide surface has a vertical angle with respect to the recording surface of the recording material. The other surface is an upward opening inclination restriction surface having an upright inclination angle so that the vertical restriction surface and the lower side coincide with each other, but the upper side is positioned somewhat outwardly. It is what.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the frictional resistance from the guide surface acting on the side edge of the recording material is reduced by forming a part of the guide surface as the upward opening inclination regulating surface, and the recording material Smooth feeding of the recording material can be executed without being affected by the difference in quality and properties. Further, the recording material lifted by the hopper and the recording material returned by the return lever are guided so as to slide on the upward opening inclination regulating surface, and can be aligned and returned to the original position. Further, by making a part of the guide surface a vertical restricting surface and making the lower side of the upper opening inclination restricting surface coincide with the vertical restricting surface, a certain degree of strict control of the side edge of the recording material and the recording target caused by the restriction The material aligning action and the action of preventing the inclination of the recording material being fed are executed.

  The edge guide according to a second aspect of the present invention is the edge guide according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the vertical regulating surface is upstream of the recording material in the feeding direction, and the upward opening inclination regulating surface is the feeding of the recording material. It is arranged on the downstream side in the feeding direction.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the strict regulation of the side edge of the recording material is maintained at the initial stage of feeding when the end portion of the side edge of the recording material is held by the vertical regulating surface. The occurrence of tilt of the recording material is prevented. In addition, since the vertical regulating surface is only provided in a part of the guide surface, the frictional resistance acting on the side edge of the recording material is reduced, and smooth feeding of the recording material is also ensured. Has been. In addition, at the end of feeding when the end of the side edge of the recording material passes through the vertical regulating surface, the restriction on the side edge of the recording material is somewhat relaxed, so smoother feeding of the recording material is executed. Is done.

  The edge guide according to a third aspect of the present invention is the edge guide according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the vertical regulating surface is on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material, and the upper opening inclination regulating surface is the feeding of the recording material. It is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the strict side edge of the recording material is maintained from the initial stage of feeding to the final stage of feeding in which the end portion of the side edge of the recording material is separated from the edge guide. Since the regulation is maintained, the occurrence of the tilt of the recording material is prevented throughout the entire feeding range. In addition, since the vertical regulating surface is only provided in a part of the guide surface, the frictional resistance acting on the side edge of the recording material is reduced, and smooth feeding of the recording material is also ensured. Has been. Further, the end portion of the side edge of the recording material lifted by the hopper or the recording material returned by the return lever serves as an edge guide due to the presence of the upward opening restricting surface provided on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording material. It is possible to return to the initial position by being guided by the upward opening restriction surface without being caught.

  The edge guide according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the edge guide according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the pair of edge guides is fixed with respect to one side edge of the recording material. And a movable edge guide that holds the other side edge of the recording material in a state in which it can move in the width direction of the recording material. Of these, the guide surface of the fixed edge guide is The guide surface of the other movable edge guide is configured to feed the recording material only by a vertical regulating surface having a standing angle perpendicular to the recording material mounting surface over the entire length. A vertical restriction surface and an upward opening inclination restriction surface which are set differently on the upstream side and the downstream side in the direction are combined.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the entire length of the guide surface of the fixed edge guide is maintained from the initial stage of feeding until the terminal end of the side edge of the recording material is separated from the fixed edge guide. Since the strict regulation of the side edge of the recording material is maintained by the vertical regulation surface formed over the recording material, the occurrence of the inclination of the recording material is surely prevented throughout the entire feeding range. In addition, since the movable edge guide is provided only with the vertical regulating surface in a part of the guide surface, the frictional resistance acting on the side edge of the recording material is reduced, and the recording material Smooth feeding is also guaranteed.

  The edge guide according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is the edge guide according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the standing angle of the guide surface is relative to both edge guides of the pair of edge guides. A guide surface is used that combines a vertical restriction surface and an upward opening inclination restriction surface that are set differently on the upstream side and downstream side of the recording material in the feeding direction. The vertical restriction surface and the upward opening inclination restriction surface are provided at opposing positions.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the upward opening inclination regulating surface is provided for the two opposing edge guides, the frictional resistance from the two guide surfaces acting on both side edges of the recording material is reduced. Both of them are reduced, and a smoother feeding of the recording material can be achieved. Further, the recording material lifted by the hopper and the recording material returned by the return lever are guided by the upwardly-opening inclination regulating surface symmetrically and can be aligned to return to the original position. In addition, since the left and right guide surfaces of the two opposing edge guides are provided with a vertical restriction surface at a part thereof, the strict regulation of the side edge of the recording material is maintained to some extent. In addition, since the arrangement of the vertical restriction surface and the upper opening inclination restriction surface is symmetrical, the frictional resistance acting on the side edge of the recording material can be balanced, so that the inclination of the recording material during feeding can be prevented. .

  The edge guide according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is the edge guide according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the standing angle of the guide surface is relative to both edge guides of the pair of edge guides. A guide surface is used that combines a vertical restriction surface and an upward opening inclination restriction surface that are set differently on the upstream side and downstream side of the recording material in the feeding direction. The vertical restriction surfaces and the upward opening inclination restriction surfaces are alternately arranged.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the upward opening inclination regulating surface is provided for the two opposing edge guides, the frictional resistance from the two guide surfaces acting on both side edges of the recording material is reduced. Both of them are reduced, and a smoother feeding of the recording material can be achieved. In addition, since the left and right guide surfaces of the two opposing edge guides are provided with a vertical restriction surface at a part thereof, the strict regulation of the side edge of the recording material is maintained to some extent. In addition, by arranging the vertical regulating surface and the upward opening inclination regulating surface alternately on the left and right, the operational effect exhibited by the second aspect and the operational effect exhibited by the third aspect are synergistically exhibited. And each other's drawbacks are complemented.

  The pair of edge guides according to the seventh aspect of the present invention guide the feeding of the recording material by aligning the recording material by contacting both side edges of the recording material and preventing the recording material from tilting. And at least one edge guide of the pair of edge guides includes a first regulating surface whose surface facing the side edge of the recording material is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the recording material, A vertical surface that is located downstream from the first restriction surface and rises perpendicularly to the placement surface from a position that is retracted from the first restriction surface so as to be separated from a side edge of the recording material. And a second restricting surface configured to include an inclined surface rising upward from an upper end of the vertical surface so as to expand upward with respect to the mounting surface.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the vertical surface rises perpendicularly to the placement surface from the position retracted so as to be separated from the side edge of the recording material, and expands upward with respect to the placement surface. The second restricting surface having an inclined surface rising upward from the upper end of the vertical surface reduces the frictional resistance between the side edge of the recording material and the edge guide, The recording material can be smoothly fed without being affected by the difference in properties. Further, the recording material lifted by the hopper and the recording material returned by the return lever are guided so as to slide on the inclined surface, and can be aligned to return to the original position.

  A recording apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention guides smooth feeding of a recording material by aligning the recording material by contacting both side edges of the recording material and preventing the recording material from tilting. A recording apparatus having a pair of edge guides, wherein the edge guide according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention is applied as the edge guide.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the recording material can be aligned by regulating the side edges of the recording material without being affected by the difference in quality and properties of the recording material, and the inclination of the recording material can be adjusted. It is possible to provide a recording apparatus including an edge guide that can prevent and guide smooth feeding of a recording material. In addition, by using the recording apparatus, high-precision recording is performed on the recording material.

  A recording apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention includes a feeding roller that feeds a recording material by contacting and rotating the recording material, and supporting the recording material in an inclined posture. A hopper provided to be able to switch between a pressure-contacting posture in which the roller is pressed against the feeding roller and a spacing posture to be separated from the feeding roller, and a tip support that supports the tip of the recording material facing the lower end of the hopper The recording material is nipped between the feeding roller and a guide member having a surface and a guide surface that opposes the feeding roller and guides the leading edge of the recording material downstream. A separation roller that separates the uppermost recording material to be recorded from the next recording material and a recording material feeding path that is positioned on both sides of the separation roller in the width direction of the recording material. When viewed from the side, the tip support surface and the guide surface A restricting portion that is provided at a position and restricts the number of recording materials entering the nip point between the feeding roller and the separation roller by forming a shape protruding from the intersecting position to the recording material feeding path. And a conveying roller that is provided downstream of the feeding roller and conveys the recording material to the downstream recording head by nipping and rotating the recording material. The restricting portion is located at a position deviated from the center position in the width direction with respect to the recording material of a specific size, whereby the recording material of the specific size has its tip at the restricting portion at the time of feeding. The hopper has a skew tendency, and the hopper is aligned with the both side edges of the recording material to align the recording material and prevent the recording material from tilting. A pair of guides The edge guide on the side where the side edge of the recording material is in strong contact due to the skew tendency has a surface facing the side edge of the recording material perpendicular to the mounting surface of the recording material. A first regulating surface and a position downstream of the first regulating surface and perpendicular to the placement surface from a position retracted from the first regulating surface so as to be separated from a side edge of the recording material. A second restricting surface configured to include a vertical surface that rises and an inclined surface that rises upward from the upper end of the vertical surface so as to expand upward with respect to the placement surface, The first restriction surface is in a position where the side edge on the rear end side can be guided when the recording material of the specific size is set, and the second restriction surface supplies the recording material of the specific size. After feeding, the leading edge is nipped by the conveying roller and recorded. When is started, it is in a position facing the side edge of the rear end.

  The recording apparatus according to this aspect has a skew tendency when feeding a recording material of a specific size. In the pair of edge guides provided in the hopper, the side edge of the recording material is caused by the skew tendency. A surface facing the side edge of the recording material in the edge guide on the strongly contacting side is positioned on the first regulating surface perpendicular to the recording material placing surface and on the downstream side with respect to the first regulating surface. The vertical surface rises perpendicularly to the placement surface from the position retracted from the first restriction surface so as to be separated from the side edge of the recording material, and expands upward with respect to the placement surface. And a second restricting surface configured with an inclined surface rising upward from the upper end of the vertical surface.

  Since the first regulating surface is in a position where the side edge on the rear end side can be guided when the recording material of the specific size is set, in the initial stage of feeding the recording material, The strict regulation of the recording material side edge is maintained by the one regulating surface, and the occurrence of the inclination of the recording material is prevented. The second restricting surface rising from the position retracted so as to be separated from the side edge of the recording material is fed with the recording material of the specific size, and then the leading end is nipped by the conveying roller to start recording. When the recording material is positioned opposite the side edge at the rear end, the side edge at the rear end of the recording material is strongly in contact with the second regulating surface even when the recording material has a skew tendency. That is, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance (back tension) between the side edge of the recording material and the edge guide and to perform a smooth conveying operation, thereby preventing the recording quality from deteriorating.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the present invention aligns the liquid ejecting material by contacting both side edges of the liquid ejecting material and prevents the liquid ejecting material from being inclined to smoothly A liquid ejecting apparatus including a pair of edge guides for guiding a simple feeding, wherein at least one of the pair of edge guides has an angle of standing of a guide surface that directly contacts a side edge of the liquid ejecting material. It is set to be different between the upstream side and the downstream side in the feeding direction of the liquid injection material, and one of the upstream side and the downstream side of the guide surface is perpendicular to the placement surface of the liquid injection material. Vertical restriction surface having an upright angle, and the other is an upper opening inclination restriction surface having an upright inclination angle so that the lower side is coincident with the vertical restriction surface, but the upper side is positioned somewhat outwardly It is characterized by becoming.

  Hereinafter, an edge guide according to the present invention and a recording apparatus which is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus including the edge guide will be described. First, an ink jet printer 100 is taken up as the best mode for carrying out a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention and a recording apparatus as an example thereof, and an outline of the entire configuration will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the internal structure of the ink jet printer, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the outline of the whole internal structure of the ink jet printer. An outline of the internal structure of the ink jet printer 100 will be described in accordance with a conveyance path of a recording material P (hereinafter also simply referred to as a paper P) which is an example of the liquid injection material shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. First, the feed tray 5 that is an example of the liquid injection material stacking section on which a plurality of sheets P can be stacked is located at the most upstream side in the transport direction of the sheet P. The feeding tray 5 is provided with a pair of left and right edge guides 15 that abut the side edges (edges) of the paper P to align the paper P in the width direction and guide smooth feeding of the paper P. ing.

  Then, the paper P stacked on the feeding tray 5 rises at a predetermined timing with the rotation of the rotation shaft 17 of the feeding roller 14, and is directed toward the feeding roller 14. Pushed up. The sheet P pushed up toward the feeding roller 14 is pulled out by the pressure feeding action between the feeding roller 14 and the hopper 16, so that the upper sheet P is pulled out, and the retard roller 23, which is an example of a separating action unit, etc. The uppermost sheet P and the succeeding sheet P are separated with the help of Further, the uppermost sheet P is sent toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the paper P (leftward in FIG. 2), and the subsequent paper P is upstream of the transport direction of the paper P by the return lever 6 (in FIG. 2, Pushed rightward), returned to the original position on the feeding tray 5 and loaded again.

  Downstream of the feeding roller 14 is provided a recording material detection means (not shown) (hereinafter simply referred to as a detection lever) that is an example of a liquid injection material detection means that detects the passage of the paper P. On the downstream side, a conveyance roller 19 is provided that includes a conveyance drive roller 19a and a conveyance driven roller 19b. Of these, the driven roller 19b for conveyance is pivotally supported on the downstream side of the roller holder 18 for the driven roller for conveyance, and the roller holder 18 is provided so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft, and is provided by a torsion coil spring 24. The conveyance driven roller 19b is urged to rotate so as to always be in a nip state in pressure contact with the conveyance drive roller 19a.

  An auxiliary presser roller 18c is provided as an example downstream of the roller holder 18 in the conveying direction, and the auxiliary presser roller 18c is pivotally supported by a roller holder for the auxiliary presser roller so as to be driven to rotate. The auxiliary presser roller 18c is provided for the purpose of preventing head rubbing caused by lifting of the end of the paper P. Then, the paper P that is conveyed while being pinched by the conveying roller 19 is guided to the recording position 26 through the lower side of the auxiliary pressing roller 18c.

  The recording position 26 is supported by a carriage guide shaft that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction X as a main component of a recording execution unit that is an example of a liquid jet execution unit that performs recording on the paper P. A carriage that does not work is provided. A recording head 13, which is an example of a liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting (ejecting) ink, which is an example of liquid, onto the paper P is mounted on the lower surface of the carriage. An ink cartridge (not shown), which is an example of a liquid cartridge, is mounted on the carriage.

  A platen 28 that defines a platen gap PG between the head surface of the recording head 13 and the paper P is provided below the recording head 13 so as to face the recording head 13. Between the recording head 13 and the platen 28, the sheet P is transported by a predetermined transport amount in the sub-scanning direction Y orthogonal to the main scanning direction X, and the recording head 13 is reciprocated once in the main scanning direction. By repeating the operation of ejecting ink from the recording head 13 onto the paper P, desired recording is performed over the entire recording surface of the paper P. The platen gap PG is an extremely important element for executing high-precision recording, and is appropriately adjusted according to the change in the thickness of the paper P and the use of a disc tray or the like. Yes.

  Disposed downstream of the recording head 13 is a discharge roller 20 that is an example of a liquid ejecting material discharge unit configured by a discharge drive roller 20a and a discharge driven roller 20b. A discharge auxiliary roller 22 for assisting discharge of the paper P is provided upstream of the discharge roller 20 in the transport direction. The discharge auxiliary roller 22 also belongs to the liquid ejecting material discharge means, and includes a discharge auxiliary drive roller 22a and a discharge auxiliary driven roller 22b. Then, the paper P discharged by the discharge roller 20 and the discharge auxiliary roller 22 is discharged to a placement surface on a discharge stacker (not shown) which is an example of the liquid jet material receiving portion positioned further downstream in the transport direction. It has become so.

  The discharge driven roller 20b and the discharge auxiliary driven roller 22b are toothed rollers having a plurality of teeth on the outer periphery thereof, and are rotatably supported by a roller holder that holds each of them. The transport driven roller 19b is disposed such that its axial center position is located somewhat downstream in the transport direction with respect to the transport drive roller 19a. The discharge driven roller 20b and the discharge auxiliary driven roller 22b is disposed such that its axial center position is located somewhat upstream in the transport direction from the discharge drive roller 20a and the discharge auxiliary drive roller 22a. By adopting such an arrangement, the sheet P is called “reverse sled” which slightly protrudes downward between the transport roller 19 and the discharge roller 20 or the discharge auxiliary roller 22. A curved state is formed. As a result, the sheet P located at the position facing the recording head 13 is pressed against the platen 28, and the sheet P is prevented from being lifted, so that the recording is executed normally.

[Example]
Next, the edge guide 15 according to the present invention provided for the ink jet printer 100 will be described in detail.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the initial stage of feeding showing the internal structure up to the conveyance roller of the ink jet printer in which the edge guide of the present invention is applied to the feeding tray, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of feeding the edge guide of the present invention. It is a perspective view from the front front in the initial stage of feeding showing the appearance to the conveyance roller of the inkjet printer applied to the tray. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the final stage of feeding showing the internal structure up to the conveyance roller of the ink jet printer in which the edge guide of the present invention is applied to the feeding tray, and FIG. 6 is a diagram of feeding the edge guide of the present invention. It is a perspective view from the front front of the final stage of feeding which shows the external appearance to the conveyance roller of the inkjet printer applied with respect to the tray for printing. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the edge guide of the present invention is applied to a movable edge guide.

  As described above, the edge guide 15 abuts on both side edges (edges) of the paper P, for example, aligns the paper P in a stacked state and prevents the paper P from being inclined (skew). A pair of guide members provided on the left and right for guiding the feeding. In this embodiment, one of the pair of edge guides 15 is a fixed edge guide 15A, and the other is a movable edge guide 15B.

  The fixed edge guide 15 </ b> A is a guide member that holds one side edge (the right side edge in FIGS. 4 and 6) of the paper P and is fixed to the hopper 16. A portion that contacts one side edge (edge) of the paper P is a guide surface 30, which serves as a reference surface when the paper P is set on the feeding tray 5. Further, the guide surface 30 is constituted only by a vertical regulating surface 32 having an upright angle θ perpendicular to the placement surface 31 of the paper P over the entire length of the paper P.

  The movable edge guide 15B holds the other side edge of the paper P (the left side edge in FIGS. 4 and 6) and is guided by a guide groove 33 formed on the placement surface 31 of the hopper 16. The guide member is provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the paper P. A portion that contacts the other side edge (edge) of the paper P is a guide surface 34. Further, the guide surface 34 is set so that the standing angle θ of the paper P with respect to the placement surface 31 is different between the upstream side and the downstream side in the feeding direction of the paper P. In this embodiment, the paper P is fed. A vertical regulating surface 32 having an upright angle θ perpendicular to the placement surface 31 of the paper P is provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction. The vertical regulating surface 32 and the lower side 35 coincide with each other on the downstream side in the paper feeding direction, but the upside inclination angle θ is set so that the upper side 36 is located somewhat outward. An upward opening inclination regulating surface 37 is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the movable edge guide 15B is provided with a slidable contact portion 38 that extends horizontally from the lower end portion of the guide surface 34 to the inner side in the direction along the placement surface 31 of the paper P. A locking hook 39 is attached to the upper portion of the hopper 16 so as to be hooked from above on the upper portion of the slidable contact portion 38, and the guide is engraved on the placement surface 31 of the hopper 16 below the slidable contact portion 38. Engaging claws 40 that engage with the grooves 33 are respectively provided. Further, an operation knob 41 serving as an operation part when the movable edge guide 15B is moved in the width direction of the paper P is provided above the vertical regulating surface 32 provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the guide surface 34. ing.

  Next, an action mode of the edge guide 15 with respect to the paper P when the paper P is fed using the pair of edge guides 15 configured as described above is as follows: (1) an initial stage of feeding; 2) The explanation will be divided into the final stage of feeding.

(1) Early stage of feeding (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4)
When the start of feeding is instructed, the hopper 16 starts to rise, and the stacked paper P placed on the placement surface 31 is pushed upward to be pressed against the peripheral surface of the feeding roller 14. . In this case, when the number of sheets P placed on the placement surface 31 is large, the distance between the side edge (edge) of the upper sheet P and the upper opening inclination regulating surface 37 becomes large, and the sheet P The side edge (edge) regulation is slightly sweeter. However, when the number of sheets P is large, the moving stroke of the sheet P is small because the rising stroke of the hopper 16 is small. Further, at the initial stage of feeding, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end portion of the side edge (edge) of the paper P is held by the vertical regulating surface 32 located on the upstream side. Since the regulation of the side edge (edge) of the paper P is strict, the movement of the paper P and the inclination (skew) of the paper P accompanying the movement do not occur.

  On the other hand, when the number of sheets P placed on the placement surface 31 is small, the distance between the side edge (edge) of the upper sheet P and the upper opening inclination regulating surface 37 becomes extremely small, and the sheet P Side edge (edge) regulations are becoming stricter. Accordingly, the rising stroke of the hopper 16 increases when the number of sheets P to be set is small, and there is a concern that the sheet P will move greatly. Since the side edge (edge) of the paper P is securely held by the regulation surface 37, the paper P does not move and the paper P is not tilted (skew) due to the movement.

(2) Final stage of feeding (see Figs. 5 and 6)
When feeding progresses by the pressure feeding action between the feeding roller 14 and the hopper 16, the leading edge of the uppermost sheet P to be fed reaches the conveying roller 19 as shown in FIG. In the case of the sheet P, the end portion of the side edge (edge) of the sheet P leaves the vertical regulating surface 32 located on the upstream side and reaches the upstream opening inclination regulating surface 37 on the downstream side. Accordingly, the frictional resistance from the guide surface 34 acting on the side edge (edge) of the paper P is reduced, and the paper P is smoothly conveyed by the nipping pressure feeding action by the conveying roller 19.

  Further, in this state, the hopper 16 is lowered as shown in FIG. 5 to reach the lower limit position, and the distance between the side edge (edge) of the sheet P being fed and the upper opening inclination regulating surface 37 is increased, The regulation of the side edge (edge) of the paper P is slightly sweetened. However, since the paper P is sandwiched between the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the paper P by the transport roller 19, the feeding roller 14, and the retard roller 23, the paper P Since the occurrence of inclination (skew) is unlikely to occur, the sweetness of the regulation does not matter. Then, the succeeding paper P separated by the retard roller 23 or the like is pushed upward by the return lever 6, guided by the upward opening inclination regulating surface 37, aligned, and again to the original position on the feeding tray 5. Returned.

[Other embodiments]
The edge guide 15 and the recording apparatus 100 including the edge guide 15 according to the present invention are based on the above-described configuration, but the partial configuration is changed within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it is possible to omit or omit them. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, in the case of the movable edge guide 15B shown in FIG. In addition, it is possible to arrange the upward opening inclination regulating surface 37 on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the paper P.

  Incidentally, in the case of such a configuration, since the strict regulation of the side edge (edge) of the paper P is maintained from the beginning to the end of feeding, the inclination (skew) of the paper P does not occur.

  Further, the paper P on the feeding tray 5 lifted by the hopper 16 and the paper P returned to the feeding tray 5 by the return lever 6 are formed by the presence of the upper opening inclination regulating surface 37 provided on the upstream side. The terminal portion of the side edge (edge) of P can be returned to the initial position on the feeding tray 5 without being caught by the movable edge guide 15B.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, both of the two edge guides 15 provided facing each other, for example, two movable edge guides 15B such as the edge guide 15 provided for the feeding cassette or the like are provided. It is also possible to arrange the vertical regulating surface 32 and the upward opening inclination regulating surface 37 separately on the upstream side and the downstream side in the paper P feeding direction with respect to both the guide surfaces 34. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the vertical restriction surfaces 32 and the upper opening inclination restriction surfaces 37 of the respective edge guides 15B located at the opposed positions may be arranged at the opposed positions, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to alternately arrange the vertical restriction surfaces 32 and the upper opening inclination restriction surfaces 37 in the left and right edge guides 15B.

  Incidentally, when configured in this manner, the frictional resistance from both guide surfaces 34 in the left and right edge guides 15B is reduced, and the paper P can be fed more smoothly. When the arrangement of the vertical restricting surface 32 and the upward opening restricting restricting surface 37 is symmetrical in the left and right edge guides 15B, the frictional resistance acting on the side edge (edge) of the paper P can be balanced. The inclination (skew) of the paper P being fed becomes even less likely to occur. In addition, when the left and right edge guides 15B are configured so that the vertical restriction surfaces 32 and the upward opening inclination restriction surfaces 37 are alternately arranged, the respective effects are promoted and the respective defects are complemented.

  Further, the edge guide 15 of the present invention is not limited to the edge guide provided for the feeding tray 5 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, but is used in a feeding cassette or the like as shown in FIGS. The configuration and purpose of an edge guide configured by two movable edge guides 15B that move toward and away from each other and an edge guide that guides the side edge (edge) of the paper fed from the roll paper holder are provided. It can be applied to different edge guides.

[Other embodiment (2)]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment described with reference to FIG. 7, the lower portion of the upper opening inclination regulating surface 37 can be formed on a vertical surface as shown in FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing an edge guide according to another embodiment, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a feeding tray to which the edge guide is applied, FIG. 13 is a front view thereof, FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 is a sectional view on the same side.

  In FIG. 11, the movable edge guide 15 </ b> B has a surface facing the side edge (edge) of the paper P, a vertical restriction surface 32 as a “first restriction surface”, and a downstream of the vertical restriction surface 32 in the paper feeding direction. And a second regulating surface 370 located on the side. The second restriction surface 370 is above the vertical surface 37A and the placement surface 31 (FIG. 12) rising vertically from the position retreated by the distance d from the vertical restriction surface 32 so as to be separated from the side edge of the paper P. And an inclined surface 37B that rises upward from the upper end of the vertical surface 37A. That is, the lower side 35A of the vertical regulating surface 32 as the first regulating surface and the lower side 35B of the second regulating surface 370 do not coincide with each other, and the lower side 35B is at a position retracted by the distance d with respect to the lower side 35A.

  The distance d can be set to, for example, about 0.3 mm, the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 37B can be set to, for example, about 93.5 deg, and the height h of the vertical surface 37A can be set to, for example, 4 About 9 mm.

  The feeding tray 5 provided with the movable edge guide 15B formed in this way has a base body constituted by a frame 50 as a guide member as shown in FIG. A front end support surface 51 that supports the front end of the paper P set in an inclined posture and that faces the lower end, and a guide surface 53 that faces the feed roller 14 and guides the front end of the paper downstream. Are formed by the top surfaces of a plurality of ribs 52 arranged at appropriate intervals in the paper width direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, at the intersecting position of the leading end support surface 51 and the guide surface 53, a shape that protrudes into the sheet feeding path is formed, and the feeding roller 14 and the retard roller (separation roller) 23 Restricting portions 54 that limit the number of sheets P entering the nip point are formed on both sides of the retard roller 23 in the sheet width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the restricting portions 54 and 54 are deviated from the center position of the sheet with respect to the paper P of a specific size, the leading edge of the paper P moves to the restricting portions 54 and 54 as the hopper 16 rises. Due to the contact, the paper P has a skew tendency (inclination direction indicated by an arrow M in FIG. 13). As a result, the side edge of the paper P on the movable edge guide 15B side tends to come into strong contact with the movable edge guide 15B.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the vertical regulating surface 32 is in a position where the side edge on the rear end side can be guided when the paper P of the specific size is set. Therefore, at the initial stage of feeding the paper P, the vertical regulating surface 32 Strict regulation of the paper side edge is maintained by the surface 32, and the occurrence of the inclination of the paper P is prevented. Then, when the fed paper P is nipped by the transport roller 19, so-called bite-and-discharge type skew removal is executed. That is, in a state where the trailing edge of the sheet P is nipped by the feeding roller 14 and the retard roller 23, the conveying roller 19 is once rotated reversely to discharge the leading end of the sheet P to the upstream side of the conveying roller 19, and again conveyed Nipping is performed by the roller 19 for use.

  In FIG. 15, the sheet indicated by reference numeral P <b> 1 shows a state where the skew removal operation is performed and the recording can be performed (a state where the head has been cued). As shown in the drawing, in this state, the side edge of the rear end of the sheet P1 is in a state of being opposed to the second restriction surface 370 after the restriction state by the vertical restriction surface 32 is released.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 13, the paper P1 has a skew tendency as shown in FIG. 13, and although the skew correction is performed by the subsequent skew removal, the skew tendency may remain slightly. In such a case, the side edge of the rear end of the paper P1 tends to come into strong contact with the guide surface of the movable edge guide 15. However, the side edge of the rear end of the paper P1 when starting recording is the second restriction surface as described above. It is in a state facing 370. The second restricting surface 370 includes a vertical surface 37A that rises from a position retracted so as to be separated from the paper side edge, and an inclined surface 37B that expands upward, so that the skew tendency remains in the paper P1. However, the side edge of the rear end of the paper P1 can be prevented from coming into strong contact with the movable edge guide 15.

  Accordingly, the frictional resistance between the paper P1 and the movable edge guide 15B, that is, the back tension can be reduced, and a smooth conveying operation can be executed, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in recording quality. Yes.

  Even when the side edge of the trailing edge of the sheet at the start of recording is not located at the position facing the second restriction surface 370 as in the sheet indicated by reference numeral P1 in FIG. Since the vertical surface 37A rises from a position retracted from the surface 32 and the inclined surface 37B is formed so as to expand upward, the frictional resistance between the side edge of the paper P and the movable edge guide 15B is reduced. As a result, the paper P can be smoothly fed without being affected by the difference in the quality and properties of the paper P. Further, the paper P lifted by the hopper 16 and the paper P returned by the return lever 6 are guided by sliding on the inclined surface 37B, aligned, and can return to the original position.

The perspective view which shows a part of internal structure of an inkjet printer. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing an outline of the entire internal structure of the ink jet printer. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of an initial stage of feeding showing an embodiment in which the edge guide of the present invention is applied to a feeding tray. The perspective view from the front front of the feed initial stage which shows the Example which applied the edge guide of this invention to the tray for feeding. The side sectional view in the final stage of feeding showing an example in which the edge guide of the present invention is applied to a feeding tray. The perspective view from the front front of the feed final stage which shows the Example which applied the edge guide of this invention to the tray for feeding. The perspective view which expands and shows the edge guide which concerns on a present Example. The perspective view which expands and shows the edge guide which concerns on another Example. The front view which shows the Example which applied the edge guide of this invention to both of the two edge guides which oppose. The front view which shows the other Example which varied the arrangement | positioning aspect of a vertical control surface and an upward opening inclination control surface same as the above. The perspective view which expands and shows the edge guide which concerns on another Example. The perspective view of the tray for feeding to which the edge guide which concerns on another Example is applied. The front view of the tray for feeding which applied the edge guide which concerns on another Example. The side sectional view of the tray for feeding to which the edge guide concerning other examples is applied. The side sectional view of the tray for feeding to which the edge guide concerning other examples is applied.

Explanation of symbols

5 feeding tray, 6 return lever, 13 recording head, 14 feeding roller,
15 (a pair of) edge guides, 15A fixed edge guide, 15B movable edge guide 16 hopper, 17 rotating shaft (for feeding roller),
18 roller holder (for driven roller for conveyance), 18c auxiliary presser roller,
19 transport roller, 19a transport drive roller, 19b transport driven roller,
20 discharge roller, 20a drive roller for discharge, 20b driven roller for discharge,
22 discharge auxiliary roller, 22a discharge auxiliary drive roller,
22b Auxiliary driven roller for discharge, 23 retard roller, 24 torsion coil spring,
26 recording positions, 28 platens, 30 guide surfaces (for fixed edge guides),
31 mounting surface, 32 vertical regulating surface, 33 guide groove,
34 guide surface (of movable edge guide), 35 lower side, 36 upper side,
37 upper opening inclination regulating surface, 37A vertical surface, 37B inclined surface, 370 second regulating surface,
38 sliding contact parts, 39 locking hooks, 40 engaging claws,
41 operation knob, 100 inkjet printer (recording device),
50 frame, 51 tip support surface, 52 rib, 53 guide surface, 54 regulating portion,
P paper (recording material), PG platen gap, X main scanning direction, Y sub-scanning direction,
θ Standing angle

Claims (10)

A pair of edge guides for guiding the feeding of the recording material by aligning the recording material by contacting both side edges of the recording material and preventing the inclination of the recording material;
At least one edge guide of the pair of edge guides is set so that the standing angle of the guide surface that directly contacts the side edge of the recording material is different between the upstream side and the downstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material. One of the upstream side and the downstream side of the guide surface is a vertical regulating surface having a standing angle perpendicular to the recording material mounting surface, and the other is coincident with the vertical regulating surface and the lower side. The edge guide is characterized in that it is an upward opening inclination regulating surface having an upward opening inclination angle so that the upper side is located somewhat outwardly. 2. The edge guide according to claim 1, wherein the vertical regulating surface is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material, and the upward opening inclination regulating surface is arranged on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material. 2. The edge guide according to claim 1, wherein the vertical regulating surface is arranged on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material, and the upward opening inclination regulating surface is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material. 4. The pair of edge guides according to claim 1, wherein the pair of edge guides includes a fixed edge guide that is held in a fixed state with reference to one side edge of the recording material, and the other side edge of the recording material. The movable edge guide is held in a movable state in the width direction of the recording material. Of these, the guide surface of the fixed edge guide stands upright with respect to the recording surface of the recording material over the entire length. A vertical regulating surface that is configured only by a vertical regulating surface having a set angle, and the guide surface of the other movable edge guide is set so that the standing angle differs between the upstream side and the downstream side in the feeding direction of the recording material An edge guide characterized in that it is configured by combining a top opening inclination regulating surface. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the standing angle of the guide surface is different between the upstream side and the downstream side of the recording material with respect to both edge guides of the pair of edge guides. The guide surface is a combination of the set vertical restriction surface and the upper opening inclination restriction surface, and the vertical restriction surface and the upper opening inclination restriction surface of each edge guide at the opposite position are provided at the opposite positions. Edge guide characterized by being. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the standing angle of the guide surface is different between the upstream side and the downstream side of the recording material with respect to both edge guides of the pair of edge guides. The guide surface is a combination of the set vertical restriction surface and the upward opening inclination restriction surface, and the vertical restriction surface and the upward opening inclination restriction surface of each edge guide at the opposite position are alternately arranged. An edge guide characterized by that. A pair of edge guides for guiding the feeding of the recording material by aligning the recording material by contacting both side edges of the recording material and preventing the inclination of the recording material;
At least one edge guide of the pair of edge guides has a first regulating surface whose surface facing the side edge of the recording material is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the recording material;
A vertical surface and a front surface that are located on the downstream side with respect to the first restriction surface and rise perpendicularly to the placement surface from a position that is retreated with respect to the first restriction surface so as to be separated from the side edge of the recording material. A second restricting surface configured to include an inclined surface rising upward from the upper end of the vertical surface so as to expand upward with respect to the mounting surface;
An edge guide characterized by comprising: A recording apparatus comprising a pair of edge guides for aligning recording materials by contacting both side edges of the recording material and preventing the recording material from tilting and guiding smooth feeding of the recording material ,
A recording apparatus to which the edge guide according to claim 1 is applied as the edge guide. A feeding roller for feeding the recording material by contacting and rotating the recording material;
A hopper that supports the recording material in an inclined posture and that is switchable between a pressure contact posture that presses the recording material against the feeding roller and a separation posture that separates the recording material from the feeding roller;
A guide member having a front end support surface that supports the front end of the recording material facing the lower end of the hopper and a guide surface that faces the feeding roller and guides the front end of the recording material downstream;
A separation roller that separates the uppermost recording material to be fed and the subsequent recording material by niping the recording material with the feeding roller;
In the width direction of the recording material, it is located on both sides of the separation roller, and when viewed from the side of the recording material feeding path, it is provided at the intersecting position of the tip support surface and the guide surface. A restricting portion that limits the number of recording materials that enter the nip point between the feeding roller and the separation roller by forming a shape that protrudes into the feeding path of the recording material;
A recording apparatus provided on a downstream side of the feeding roller and configured to nip and rotate the recording material to convey the recording material to a downstream recording head. ,
The restricting portion is located at a position deviated from the center position in the width direction with respect to the recording material of a specific size, whereby the recording material of the specific size comes into contact with the restricting portion during feeding. Cause a skew tendency,
The hopper is provided with a pair of edge guides for aligning the recording material by contacting both side edges of the recording material and preventing the recording material from tilting and guiding the smooth feeding of the recording material. The surface of the edge guide on the side where the side edge of the recording material is in strong contact due to the skew tendency is opposite to the side edge of the recording material, and the first regulating surface perpendicular to the recording surface of the recording material A vertical surface that is located downstream from the first restriction surface and rises perpendicularly to the placement surface from a position that is retracted from the first restriction surface so as to be separated from a side edge of the recording material; A second restricting surface configured to include an inclined surface rising upward from an upper end of the vertical surface so as to expand upward with respect to the placement surface,
The first regulating surface is at a position where the side edge on the rear end side can be guided when the recording material of the specific size is set,
The second regulating surface is located at a position facing the side edge of the rear end when the recording material of the specific size is fed and the leading end thereof is nipped by the conveying roller and recording is started. ,
A recording apparatus. A liquid having a pair of edge guides for aligning the liquid jet material by contacting both side edges of the liquid jet material and preventing the liquid jet material from tilting and guiding smooth feeding of the liquid jet material An injection device,
At least one of the pair of edge guides is set such that the standing angle of the guide surface that directly contacts the side edge of the liquid ejecting material is different between the upstream side and the downstream side of the liquid ejecting material in the feeding direction. One of the upstream and downstream portions of the guide surface is a vertical restricting surface having a standing angle perpendicular to the mounting surface of the liquid jetting material, and the other is coincident with the vertical restricting surface and the lower side. However, the liquid ejecting apparatus is characterized in that the upper opening inclination regulating surface has an upward opening inclination angle so that the upper side is positioned somewhat outwardly.

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